ALERT: This marker has been permanently removed. For historical and reference purposes, this listing will remain on our website.

Title, side A

The First Presbyterian Church

Text, side A

Organized in 1798 by Reverend William Speer, the First Presbyterian Church is the oldest congregation in Chillicothe. Members of the church, led by Reverend Hugh S. Fullerton, hired a teacher to educate African American children in Chillicothe. Fullerton, an avowed abolitionist, encouraged his congregation to aid fugitive slaves as they made their way to Canada. The First Presbyterian Church was a part of the Chillicothe Presbytery. In 1835, the Chillicothe Presbytery sent a letter to their sister presbytery in Mississippi outlining a very strong stand against slavery.